Mike Brown didn't reveal many details in his introductory press conference, which was to be expected. He danced around what the lineup would be, or why he thought the offense fell off a cliff after January last season. What he was clear about right away, though, was the goal that he has for the Knicks: to win championships.
That's right Knicks fans, not win a championship, to win multiple championships. Speaking to the media, Brown made that goal crystal clear, saying that it "is to build a sustainable winning culture that produces championships."
In some ways that is like saying the quiet part out loud. Almost every new coach would say the goal is to win championships, it is the entire point of the sport, after all. The difference for the Knicks, though, is it may be championship or bust. The Knicks just parted ways with Tom Thibodeau, their most successful coach of the 21st century, after he failed to lead the Knicks past the Eastern Conference Finals.
Brown is ready for those expectations
In other words, expectations couldn't be any hire. Not only does Brown seem to know that, he seems to relish it. He was quick to note that no one has higher expectations than he does, saying, "Nobody has any bigger expectations than I do. My expectations are high. This is the Knicks. I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it."
Brown knows that it takes to win a championship, he has done so four times as an assistant coach. He won one with the San Antonio Spurs back in 2003 and three more with the Golden State Warriors in 2017, 2018, and 2022. Now he brings that winning experience to the Knicks.
What do we know about the rest of the staff?
It is unclear how the rest of the Knicks' coaching staff under Brown will take shape. Jordan Brink appears like a lock to be back, as he was handed the assignment of coaching the Knicks' summer league team in Vegas.
It also appears as though Rick Brunson will be back, although in a potentially diminished role. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported that Brunson will lose his Associate Head Coach title this season, with Brown choosing who will take the role.
There have been additional reports that other members of the past regime will also be returning, although nothing concrete has been decided yet. Brown stated that he and Leon Rose just started the process of how the staff will be filled out, while adding that he didn't know how long the process would take.